If you have some free time please take a look at www.kennyshardwood.com and let me know how you'd like it if you were purchasing hardwood flooring.

Design flaws? Improvements that could be made? Look good? Anything you can tell me would be great.

Thanks!

WestCoastReggie

10-15-2005, 09:05 PM

If you have some free time please take a look at www.kennyshardwood.com and let me know how you'd like it if you were purchasing hardwood flooring.

Design flaws? Improvements that could be made? Look good? Anything you can tell me would be great.

Thanks!

I will, look at ''funny shit''

DRU

10-15-2005, 09:07 PM

I will, look at ''funny shit''

???????????

Halfcan

10-15-2005, 09:07 PM

Pretty nice site. Simple and to the point is best,.,

WestCoastReggie

10-15-2005, 09:13 PM

???????????

the thread called ''FUNNY ShIT''

Real good site, the only question I have is the picture of the factory flooring right on the front

irishjayhawk

10-15-2005, 09:16 PM

I might try going with no borders on the tables for data. Or specify the color (black) and perhaps width.

bishop_74

10-15-2005, 09:17 PM

OK. I like the layout. Well organized and easy to navigate. I would also think about throwing some more pictures on the front page. Way too much grey for me. Show off the product a bit more. Also, shrink the crap out of that Nascar sponsor and feature it on the side as a subset of something else... It's a good thing to have, but it looks like kenny's hardwood is marketing one type of customer. Unfortunatley, trailer homes don't need hardwood floors.

DRU

10-15-2005, 09:38 PM

Real good site, the only question I have is the picture of the factory flooring right on the front

Picture of factory flooring? That main image on the home page randomly displays different images. I guess you're talking about the one of our warehouse stacked high with hardwood??? Is there something no so eye-pleasing about that?

I might try going with no borders on the tables for data. Or specify the color (black) and perhaps width.

I'm not sure what you're talking about here...??

Also, shrink the crap out of that Nascar sponsor and feature it on the side as a subset of something else... It's a good thing to have, but it looks like kenny's hardwood is marketing one type of customer. Unfortunatley, trailer homes don't need hardwood floors.

The main reason I can't do this is because boss-man wants it large like that. Also, though, I think you may be underestimating the significance of being an actual NASCAR team sponsor. There aren't any small companies (or at least not many) that have the money to sponsor an actual team. It shows we're a large business that isn't here to rip you off. At least, that's the idea.

I'll play with the front page design a little bit and see if I can come up with spots for some extra pics. If it wasn't for the fact that stats show there are still MANY people using resolutions as low as 800x600 I wouldn't have to limit myself to that small of an area to work with.

jjjayb

10-15-2005, 09:43 PM

I like it. Simple and to the point. Very easy to navigate with the navigation bar on top. :clap:

irishjayhawk

10-15-2005, 09:46 PM

Picture of factory flooring? That main image on the home page randomly displays different images. I guess you're talking about the one of our warehouse stacked high with hardwood??? Is there something no so eye-pleasing about that?

I'm not sure what you're talking about here...??

The main reason I can't do this is because boss-man wants it large like that. Also, though, I think you may be underestimating the significance of being an actual NASCAR team sponsor. There aren't any small companies (or at least not many) that have the money to sponsor an actual team. It shows we're a large business that isn't here to rip you off. At least, that's the idea.

I'll play with the front page design a little bit and see if I can come up with spots for some extra pics. If it wasn't for the fact that stats show there are still MANY people using resolutions as low as 800x600 I wouldn't have to limit myself to that small of an area to work with.
I like everything as its simple and elegant. THe tables you use that have pricing and other data in them should sport black borders or no borders at all.

DRU

10-15-2005, 09:49 PM

THe tables you use that have pricing and other data in them should sport black borders or no borders at all

The only borders I have on the pages with prices are the dotted divider lines. Are you getting some other sort of border on these tables???

irishjayhawk

10-15-2005, 10:10 PM

In firefox.

its on this page: http://www.kennyshardwood.com/nofma/nofmaGeneralSanding.asp

If needed ill take a screenie.

DRU

10-15-2005, 10:20 PM

Ah, yes. Those particular tables do need to be cleaned up, however, they do have black borders in IE. Dreamweaver check didn't say anything about errors on that with Firefox so I'm not sure why it wouldn't be working. I'll have to look into it.

thanks!

irishjayhawk

10-15-2005, 10:29 PM

Yeah. I don't know why those are the default borders because they are extremely ugly.

KChiefsQT

10-15-2005, 10:34 PM

I would brighten it up a bit more. maybe add bolder lines to the menu bars and the grey is dull.... but its very nice as is.

skye22f

10-15-2005, 10:59 PM

If you have some free time please take a look at www.kennyshardwood.com and let me know how you'd like it if you were purchasing hardwood flooring.

Design flaws? Improvements that could be made? Look good? Anything you can tell me would be great.

Thanks!

It needs a better color scheme, fonts could use some work and the menus look cheesy.

I'd suggest you hire an artist if they are paying you enough, it just looks very amateur.

DRU

10-16-2005, 12:37 AM

It needs a better color scheme, fonts could use some work and the menus look cheesy.

I'd suggest you hire an artist if they are paying you enough, it just looks very amateur.

Actually, I work for them in-house. I'm limited a little bit with the looks from what they've asked for, but some changes could be made.

What is it that looks chessy about the menus? What work would you have in mind for an artist? One primary goal with this site is search engine friendlyness...graphics don't bold well with search engines, hense the text links.

I'm always up for sprucing up the page with better graphics, though. What kind of thing would make you say "that's more like it"?

irishjayhawk

10-16-2005, 12:59 AM

Some people think drop down menus look cheap. I don't if done correctly. That said, I think you'res are done perefectly well.

andoman

10-16-2005, 07:31 AM

What's with the clickable images in the top corners? Is it supposed to do something when I click on them?

memyselfI

10-16-2005, 07:50 AM

Actually, I work for them in-house. I'm limited a little bit with the looks from what they've asked for, but some changes could be made.

What is it that looks chessy about the menus? What work would you have in mind for an artist? One primary goal with this site is search engine friendlyness...graphics don't bold well with search engines, hense the text links.

I'm always up for sprucing up the page with better graphics, though. What kind of thing would make you say "that's more like it"?

I would also concur on more color. I would ditch the gray background. Either make it a lighter gray or go with another color. It's too drab. Perhaps to make room for more pictures you can remove that scroll thingy at the bottom of the page. It serves no purpose other than filler and doesn't really 'match' the 'feel' of the page.

It's a good first start. :clap:

When I do a site, I always browse other sites for ideas and then pick and choose what I like from them and put them to work on my own.

Here are some good ones you might get some inspiration from:

http://www.andersonfloors.com/

http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/

http://www.bruce.com/resflram/na/bruce/en/us/

Notice that they have backgrounds that are 'earth' tone, as wood is, in that they are green and/or light brown. That is consistent with wood and the natural feel and the warmth of wood.

skye22f

10-16-2005, 07:54 AM

Actually, I work for them in-house. I'm limited a little bit with the looks from what they've asked for, but some changes could be made.

What is it that looks chessy about the menus? What work would you have in mind for an artist? One primary goal with this site is search engine friendlyness...graphics don't bold well with search engines, hense the text links.

I'm always up for sprucing up the page with better graphics, though. What kind of thing would make you say "that's more like it"?

Graphics can go fine with search engines if you know how to do it right- that shouldn't be a tradeoff you have to make.

Honestly, as a guy that's been in the business for a long, long time, I'd say it needs some kind of overhaul, but it's hard for me to say what except to make the menus less cheesy and add more color. I'm not creative enough to come up with stuff myself, so I normally sub it out to artists that specialize in that kinda stuff. I just know if it looks good, not so much how to make it beautiful.

Also, I'd remove the W3C/compliance stuff at the bottom. That's kinda goofy too, the businesses customers and site visitors aren't concerned with it.

Good luck!

skye22f

10-16-2005, 07:56 AM

I would also concur on more color. I would ditch the gray background. Either make it a lighter gray or go with another color. It's too drab. Perhaps to make room for more pictures you can remove that scroll thingy at the bottom of the page. It serves no purpose other than filler and doesn't really 'match' the 'feel' of the page.

It's a good first start. :clap:

When I do a site, I always browse other sites for ideas and then pick and choose what I like from them and put them to work on my own.

Here are a couple of good ones you might get some inspiration from:

http://www.andersonfloors.com/

http://www.woodfloors.org/consumer/

Notice that both have backgrounds that are 'earth' tone, as wood would be, in that they are green or light brown. That is consistent with wood and the natural feel and the warmth of wood.

I like that second one a lot especially. I did a couple sites for contractors and wood guys and man do I see that beige/green color combo a LOT. I like it.

memyselfI

10-16-2005, 07:57 AM

I like that second one a lot especially. I did a couple sites for contractors and wood guys and man do I see that beige/green color combo a LOT. I like it.

Well, you don't necessary want to do what everyone else has done. But I think the 'feel' of wood is so natural that you want your site to convey that same natural warmth. Gray just doesn't cut it. Perhaps if you are working with stainless steel or chrome you'd use gray. Hence, people use the earth tones because wood comes from the earth.

JMHO.

DaKCMan AP

10-16-2005, 08:02 AM

Too much grey space on the front page. Also, the title at the top "Kenny's Hardwood..." has too much shadow, IMO. Otherwise, the layout is alright. Sometimes drop-downs don't look good, but in this case they're fine.

Skip Towne

10-16-2005, 08:10 AM

Well, you don't necessary want to do what everyone else has done. But I think the 'feel' of wood is so natural that you want your site to convey that same natural warmth. Gray just doesn't cut it. Perhaps if you are working with stainless steel or chrome you'd use gray. Hence, people use the earth tones because wood comes from the earth.

JMHO.
Here's a news flash for you meme, EVERYTHING comes from the earth.

memyselfI

10-16-2005, 08:13 AM

Here's a news flash for you meme, EVERYTHING comes from the earth.

I was talking specifically in reference to design.

Here, you might learn something.

http://www.colorschemer.com/schemes/tags/earth+tones

C-Mac

10-16-2005, 08:15 AM

Hey Dru it looks good. I think that highliteing the button backrounds with a lighter gray along with the drop downs would separate the buttons from th ebackground of the page better.

The "Jobsite Conditions" page is nice, but shouldn't concrete slab installations be in "Special Construction Situations?" If you retain it, shouldn't slabs come after standard joist floor installation, as that is more common? I printed "Jobsite Conditions." Got 3-1/2 pages. My retarded H-P printer left out the bottom of Fig1. Font could be bigger if you're going to consume 4 pages, margin could be wider.